Showerheads are generally threadedly connected to the end of a rigid water conduit showerarm defining an extended water supply pipe above a bathtub or a shower stall wherein water is supplied by manipulation of a faucet or faucets. Usually the showerhead provides ball and socket movement swingable to direct the water spray from the showerhead in a predetermined range of movement within the bathtub or shower stall. This invention is of a showerarm having separate hot and cold water ports and a ball and socket valve and it is characterized by a elongate member which extends downwardly from the valve and out of the direction of the water spray from the showerhead when it is in an open position to a terminal end, which is preferably provided with a ball or other bulbous or enlarged device so as not to injure a person taking a shower. By twisting the rod or rotating the end, the showerarm operator will control so that a valve within it is moved from an valve open position to a valve closed position and additionally vary the water temperature within a range between a hot and cold waterspray.
Generally, individual hot and cold water faucets or simple lever-type of faucet is connected to hot and cold water conduits for sources of supply through the supply consuit. The faucet or faucets are manipulated to the proper hot and cold mixture to achieve a desired water temperature for the water flowing through the showerhead. The mixed hot and cold water then enters a single conduit to the showerhead where it passes through a discharge port in the device and is sprayed outwardly upon a user.
To adjust the direction of spray, a user must physically grasp any of the single or multiple outlet spray heads, provided in the prior art, and turn it to a desired position. If a user desires to shut off the water supply after he has wetted himself, so that he can "soap-up" or shampoo his or her hair, the faucet or faucets must be turned off and then turned on and readjusted to a desired hot and cold mixture for the rinsing-off operation. Particularly in relatively small bathtub and shower enclosures, generally provided in most bathrooms, it is very difficult to evade the shower spray while soaping-up or shampooing the hair.
It will be appreciated that handicapped persons who must sit in the tub but who may also desire the benefits of a shower, find that it is most difficult to do so.
This invention provides a downwardly extending operator, which is out of the direction of the spray of the water from the showerhead at all times in use and which may be simply rotated or pivoted to a valve closed position to shut off the water supply by controlling the valve structures to be described hereinafter which are included in the showerarm. It is at once seen that this is highly advantageous, especially to a handicapped person sitting in the bathtub, since the length of the elongate control rod is such that the terminal end is accessible to him while in a sitting position and, by this means, he may control the shower spray direction through a limited range of movement, control the ball and socket valve structure to shut off the water when he so desires and further, control the water temperature. It should be understood that there will be an extremely large savings of the amount of water and hot water energy which is actually used, since a person may simply wet himself down, shut the valve off using the single elongate operator which is conveniently accessible, soap-up, or shampoo his hair, and then turn the valve on readily, without the need for adjusting the temperature of the water.
In one embodiment of the instant invention, the device of the present invention provides an extended elongate operator, generally in the form of a rod, extending down from the showerarm having a water temperature control valve structure portion on the upper end with a protective ball or enlarged portion on the extended terminal end fixed in relation to the showerarm ball and socket to permit a user to vary the water spray temperature, shut off the water supply or universally position the showerhead within predetermined limits all by manipulation of the single rod or operator terminal end which is conveniently located out of the path of the water spray. The showerarm socket and ball valve showerhead connection is formed in a manner so as to provide water temperature control means and shut off valving means when it is rotated to a valve closed position or in a first position attitude or range of pivotal movement calculated to direct the water spray into the shower basin, tub, or stall where a person normally will be standing or sitting. The ball and socket connection is formed in a manner so as to provide for swinging movement of the showerhead by manipulation of the rigidly connecting shower rod to a valve closed position closing both the hot and cold water supply ports without upsetting the hot and cold water mixture, and a user need only to push the handle to a movement limit position to shut the water off and to move the showerhead through the easily accessible control rod to a normal in use position to turn the water on. This showerarm invention is designed to supersede the conventional faucet or faucets wherein this device provides the elements and technology necessary to implement the functions provided by conventional faucet or faucets, that is, turn the water on and off and regulate the spray water temperature and additionally the convenience to adjust the water spray direction. The technology provided by this invention also proves to conserve measurable amounts of water and the hot water energy involved and by volume will contribute somewhat toward the progressively worsening energy and water shortages.
Therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a showerarm having separate hot and cold water supply ports, a ball and socket valve included having conventional showerhead connection means, operable by rotational movement of a generally outwardly and downwardly extending operator control handle in the form of an elongated extension from the shower arm to position the showerhead to adjust a desired spray direction and to control water flow temperature through the showerarm as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 and to be hereinafter described in detail.
Another principal object of this invention is to provide valve means in the showerarm, operable by the handle means, to shut off the valve to control the flow if water through the showerarm so that, when the elongate extending control is pivotally moved into a zone in range of movement a first water flow control valving arrangement is effective to substantially cut off the water by pivotal valve movement; however, it does not completely interrupt a small flow of water at a maximum pivotal valve closed position, so that there is, at all times, a small trickle which is adapted to flow through the device when the second water flow control valve is on, which is well known in the art and, indeed, is required by some plumbing codes. It will be appreciated that compliance with these plumbing codes will in no way interfere with or subtract from the overall concept disclosed herein and claimed of a operator which extends away from the showerarm and a spray of water from the showerhead and which includes a portion which is accessible below the water head for pivotal movement of the ball and socket together with the showerhead to operate a valve means included in the showerarm device to be described for turning on and off the water supply through the showerarm.
Another object of the invention is to provide showerarm valve means completely independent of the faucet or faucets controlling the flow of hot and cold water from a source of supply and an operator valve portion therefrom included in the showerarm structure and which in combination is swingable with the extending control rod for operating the first waterflow valve means portion and by rotable movement of the operator control the second waterflow valve means to vary the spray water temperature and effectively completely stop hot and cold water passage through the showerarm.
It is also an object of the instant invention to provide an operator which includes, on the terminal end, in the embodiment of an extending rod which is a safety device to protectively cover the extending end of the rod and which is in the form of a ball in the preferred embodiment illustrated.
A still further object of the invention, in combination with that described above, is to omit the necessity of conventional faucets, utilize this showerarm invention to control water flow supply and regulate the water temperature by manipulation of a single extending elongate control operator conveniently accessible and to conserve measurable amounts of water and hot water energy.
Generally speaking, it is an overall object of this invention to provide a device that is simple and inexpensive to install in new construction which is adapted to provide in a shower or tub environment, a showerarm which includes a extending operator which is at all times out of the direction or path of the spray from the operator and which includes a handle on the terminal end being accessible below the shower for pivotal and rotational movement of the operator to control a valve means within the showerarm effective on the rotational and pivotal movement of the extending operator to open and close the flow of water in a main path through the device, regulate water temperature and adjust the direction of the water spray.